Local florist celebrates 60 years of ownership at Edinburgh flower shop

The Edinburgh Flower Shop, which she has owned since 1958, will celebrate its 60th anniversary in February. Pence says she’s not quite sure she’s ready to sell and quit working, though.

As she looks forward, the thought of selling the business has crossed her mind, she admitted. But she stops short of saying selling the business is an imminent or a sure thing.

The Bartholomew County resident said she does look forward to spending more time on her more than 200-acre property where she farms, has horses and maintains its landscape and flower gardens. And should she decide to sell, Pence says she hopes the new owners would continue to offer Edinburgh the same quality of business she has strived to build over the years.

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Evelyn Pence and her late husband, Robert, purchased the Edinburgh Flower Shop from Jean and Joe Hack in 1958. Once at 201 S. Main St., the business has been at 119 W. Thompson St. since shortly after the Pences bought it.

A display at the Edinburgh Flower Shop. Evelyn Pence has run the shop for nearly 60 years.

For nearly six decades, the Edinburgh Flower Shop has been the town’s go-to for all things floral for every occasion. Evelyn and her late husband, Robert, purchased the business from Jean and Joe Hack in 1958. Once at 201 S. Main St., it has been at 119 W. Thompson St. since shortly after the Pences bought it.

“My husband sort of insisted we give it a try,” she said. “When you are young you are not as fearful as you are when you get older.”

She is glad they took the chance. The young couple’s fearlessness paid off as the shop became one of the town’s staple businesses.

Today, the 87-year-old Pence continues to work six days a week, totaling 40 or more hours. Shunning coffee as her energetic beverage of choice, Pence said she’s more a Dr. Pepper fan. But what really fuels her drive to continue working full time: dedication.

“Dedication and taking care of your customers is what it takes to be successful,” she says. “You have to give a lot to be successful.”

And her pay-it-forward attitude extends beyond the business.

Pence was very active with the Eastern Star organization in the 1970s. She served as a worthy matron, grand page and district deputy “all those years ago.”

However, much can and does change when you measure time in decades, said Pence, a Shelby County native.

Certain traditions, such as funerals, have impacted the florist business, she said. Years ago, floral spreads for caskets used to be a frequent order, but those have dwindled as cremations are becoming more prevalent.

Most striking among the changes she has seen is the advent of the internet and its impact on her business.

Society’s preference for instant gratification has only been reinforced by made-to-order floral options online. Today, people see something on the internet, think it can be designed and delivered in an hour, Pence said. But that is an impossible task.

“They forget to order and then order at the last minute and ask if we can get it there in about an hour,” she said. “Most of the time, you cannot get it there that soon. They forget that on the other end there is a human being who has to make sure they have the flowers and are able to design it, which takes time.”

Despite the ever-changing online and brick-and-mortar retail landscape, Pence’s lifelong dedication to her community and its residents has not been lost in the digital age. Her continued community involvement has not gone unnoticed, especially by her co-worker of more than 30 years, Judy Short.

“She is good to the community,” Short said. “She gives to the community, the American Legion and she also sponsors little kids’ baseball teams and does a lot for the community that the people do not know about.”

Pence’s dedication to her business and the community flows from a wellspring of concern for her fellow residents. And that extends to Short, too.

For the past 30 years, they’re run the flower shop in tandem as beautifully as the bouquets they sell. Working that closely with one person for so many years, it is only expected that you develop a rapport with one another, Short said.

“She is one of our pioneer women who has pushed forward, made her own business and worked very hard at it,” Short said. “There has been so many flower shops come to town, but she has withstood the test of time.”

After working together for so many years, it is difficult to not mesh to where you are able to read one another’s minds, Pence said.

“She and I definitely know one another well,” Pence said.

For Pence, work always comes first, Short says. Short describes Pence as a “very strong-willed woman” who does not believe in retirement and is a “jack of all trades” who has never backed down from any challenge.

“She has certainly taught me to be a strong woman,” Short said. “I was a shy person, but she brought me right out of it.”

In the event the business is sold, Short says she will leave as well.

“I could not work without her here,” Short said. “My heart would be broken.”